School Curriculum.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2006

Tuesday, 24 October 2006

Questions (102, 103, 104, 105, 106)

Pádraic McCormack

Question:

160 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students taking science to junior certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34201/06]

Paul Connaughton

Question:

165 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools offering applied mathematics to leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34199/06]

Phil Hogan

Question:

172 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools which offer the full complement of science subjects to leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34179/06]

Gerard Murphy

Question:

207 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools that offer biology to leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34185/06]

Bernard Allen

Question:

217 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools that offer chemistry to leaving certificate level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34183/06]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Ms Hanafin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 160, 165, 172, 207 and 217 together.

With regard to the number of schools which offer the full complement of science subjects to leaving certificate level, the Deputies will be aware that the curriculum offered to students attending a post-primary school is a matter for the authorities of the schools concerned subject to meeting the Department's regulations concerning provision of the core curriculum.

My Department publishes data on the number of schools offering each subject in its annual Statistical Report. Although the report for the 2005/06 school year is still in preparation, I can provide the following provisional information to the Deputies.

A total of 348 schools offered Science to Junior Certificate level and 12 schools offering Science with Local Studies to Junior Certificate level.

There were 193 schools offering Applied Mathematics to Leaving Certificate level. There were 691 schools offering Biology to Leaving Certificate level. There were 550 schools offering Chemistry to Leaving Certificate level. There were 554 schools offering Physics and 69 schools offering Physics and Chemistry to Leaving Certificate level.

Question No. 161 answered with QuestionNo. 145.

Question No. 162 answered with QuestionNo. 116.

Question No. 163 answered with QuestionNo. 145.